For more than 50 years, Winthrop students found their home away from home, forged life-long friendships, and created treasured memories in Wofford Hall and Richardson Hall, affectionately known as the "high-rises" on campus due to their eight stories. The buildings were home to thousands of students over the years with memories made in community-style living. Study lounges, shared kitchens and hall-style baths were all the rage when the buildings were constructed. In later years men were housed in Richardson while Wofford was the classic first-year experience residence hall for women at Winthrop.
In 2021, the halls were closed due to their age and structural integrity. Wofford and Richardson have provided a new service to the Rock Hill community recently as locations for law enforcement and fire safety training, The buildings provide a unique venue appropriate for urban critical incident scenarios.
Demolition of Wofford and Richardson is currently ongoing...but the memories will live on.
Located at 1140 President's Circle and 1120 President's Circle, respectively, Wofford
and Richardson Halls opened their doors in the late 1960s, a feat of then-modern construction. Built by two different construction companies,
both stood at eight stories tall and were red brick to match much of the campus. These “twin towers” have been the tallest buildings along Cherry Road since they were
erected and remain among the tallest buildings in Rock Hill. In 2002 both buildings received exterior "facelifts" to improve their appearance
and blend better into the campus landscape.
Wofford Hall is named for Kate V. Wofford, Class of 1916, sister of then-Winthrop trustee Thomas Wofford. She became the first woman county superintendent of education in South Carolina and the first president of the S.C. Teacher Association. She was also among the first women to enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces in World War I, joining the U.S. Navy as a yeoman.
Richardson Hall is named for former S.C. Gov. John Peter Richardson Jr., who served from 
1886-90 and secured the establishment of Winthrop Training School scholarships by
each South Carolina county. He also recommended that Winthrop become a state college
for women, which became a reality in 1891.
While work has been ongoing for months (see below), the most visible stage of demolition began on Monday, Aug. 12. The contractor began taking down Wofford, with Richardson to follow. View the Aug. 12 live stream of the demolition's beginning on the Winthrop Alumni Association Facebook.
Many have asked about making bricks from the demolition available to those interested in keeping a memento of these important former residences. Bricks are not available at this time, but stay tuned to this space.
"So many memories! One of my favorite ones is that my freshman year, I asked if I
could get access to a water hose because I had a guide dog and I was concerned about
him getting a bath. ...They would let me use a janitor's closet downstairs in Wofford.
That was a wonderful option when I lived there because I could throw laundry in the
washing machine, bathe my dog, get my laundry out of the dryer and go upstairs to
take a shower with clean towels and have a clean dog, everything taken care of all
at once!" -- Nancy VanderBrink Irwin '10
"Wofford was such a fun place to live. Good times, great memories and life-long friendships!" -- Edith Campbell Hartis '85, '91
"Wofford and Richardson were THE places to live on campus during your freshman year (2001). Forget all the other suite-style dorms; this is where it all began for me. Those late nights sitting on the benches out front were epic! So many great memories and friendships formed in that dorm!" -- LaDonna Branham Young '05
T-shirt sales closed on Oct. 18. They will be mailed to the address provided on the order form in November.